


Something Only You Know

by Musetotheworld



Series: Tumblr Prompt Fills [20]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Kara being open and Cat being soft, balcony talks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-26
Updated: 2017-06-26
Packaged: 2018-11-19 03:56:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11305185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Musetotheworld/pseuds/Musetotheworld
Summary: Over the months since the last major threat, Kara has taken to having conversation with Cat on the balcony overlooking the city. The view always brings back memories.





	Something Only You Know

**Author's Note:**

> Tell me a secret

Kara's not entirely certain how she's gotten used to this. Sitting on a balcony with Cat Grant, just relaxing. Not winding down after an intense fight, not searching for someone who can give her exactly the right advice at exactly the right time, just being as much herself as she's ever allowed to be in the cape.

These nights had started a few months ago, one evening when she'd flown by on patrol to find Cat sitting alone in the gathering dusk, sipping a glass of scotch and looking like she needed someone to sit with her. Kara still isn't entirely certain she wasn't just impressing her own need onto Cat, but she can't exactly complain about the results.

Since then things have slowly grown deeper between them, to the point you could often find them sharing an evening together at least twice a week, if not more. If Kara didn't have anyone to chase or fight, if Cat wasn't busy with her plan to completely rebrand CatCo after the recent Daxamite invasion, then they'd pass the time together, just talking.

Those nights quickly became the highlight of Kara's days, and she could almost swear that Cat felt the same. She was never able to bring herself to ask, not wanting to risk the disappointment of a disagreement or a diversion, but she was almost sure. Somehow, Cat enjoyed Kara's presence just as much as Kara enjoyed Cat's.

They were always careful to avoid anything that could reveal Kara's secret identity, though by this point it was almost more of a game than any actual attempt at secrecy. The excuses for Kara to fly off had gotten better now that she's a reporter, now that she's actually expected to seek out trouble spots and be on hand to report the news. But Cat is just as sharp as she always is, and there's no way she's still fooled by Kara's disguise. Not after all they've seen and faced together.

Tonight is a little different, this time Kara isn't keeping an ear on the city beneath them, needing a break from the constant pressure of looking after her city. She's been working tirelessly over the past months to reassure the world that not all aliens are evil, that not everything different is bad. And she's started to make headway, started to convince most of the doubters that some aliens are here to help, that she's here to help.

But it hasn't been easy, and where normally Kara keeps a careful ear out for anything that needs her attention even on the quiet nights, today she'd completely shut down and put her concerns aside. Alex will call if it's anything that really needs her help, and other than that she can let the men and women of the various protective services do their jobs without her interference for one night.

"Tell me a secret," Cat asks sometime after their conversation had lapsed into silence, the first time in months that she's made any attempt to pry details out of the hero.

She hadn't needed to, part of the push to earn the trust of the people had included several interviews where Kara had shared a good portion of her life story. She'd kept the sensitive details back of course, but the glimpse into life on another planet had been a driving force in making her seem a little more accessible to the people of Earth. A little less the mysterious god and a little more a person just like them.

"I think you know most of my secrets," Kara admits, leaning her head back against the chair she's sitting on and giving Cat a pointed look. "Even the ones we pretend don't exist."

"I don't mean something huge," Cat says, not bothering to respond to the closest they've come to an admission yet. "I just want to know something about you that no one else knows. Not necessarily deep or private, just unique."

Kara has to think about that, because so much of what she holds back is deep, is something she would normally never tell anyone, even Alex. And most of her life that isn't part of that she's already told her sister, or J'onn, or even Winn and James a few times when she's had a drink or two at the bar.

As much as she wants to let Cat in, wants to offer the woman something unique about herself that no one else knows, she isn't sure what she has left to give.

"I used to dream about joining the art guild on Krypton," she says eventually, a wistful smile crossing her face as she remembers how much she'd loved those lessons. "I tried so hard to be perfect, to craft the same kind of masterpieces I saw around the city. But I could never quite get them right."

"You were a child," Cat says softly, and Kara nods her agreement.

"I know, and I see now that I should have given myself more time to learn before I decided I wouldn't be good enough for the guild. But I was always so much better at science anyway, it came so easily to me. My father would sit with me some nights and tell me about his latest studies, about the things he'd learned or the theories he'd proven." She remembers those nights sometimes, the way they'd grown scarce in the months before Krypton's destruction. She'd been left on her own too often during those days, while her mother tried and failed to save the planet, and her father worked to save her.

"Is that why you love painting so much now?" Cat asks innocently, and Kara shoots her a mock glare at that.

They hadn't discussed her love of painting while she'd been in the suit, and they both know it.

She doesn't mind the attempt though, not when she knows it's just another part of their game. Yes, Cat definitely knows her secret, and yes Kara thinks she should probably be more worried about that than she is. For Cat's safety, if nothing else.

But she's just so tired of pretending, of keeping that secret between them. Kara is willing to give Cat the secrets of her childhood, maybe it's finally time to trust her with the secrets of her life now as well.

So rather than offer a denial or carefully phrased response that answers without actually admitting to anything, Kara just nods before continuing her story. "I was almost ready to declare myself for the science guild before I left Krypton. It was an accepted fact among my House, everyone knew what was coming. My parents were both so proud, and I know my father loved the thought of another scientist giving prestige to our name. But I couldn't let go of my art, not completely. So one night when my parents were busy I climbed to the top of our tower, to the overlook ledge. I wasn't supposed to be up there alone, but I needed to try one last time to make something extraordinary, before I left art behind for good."

"And did you?" Cat pushes when Kara falls silent again, the memory of her city stretched out before her temporarily overwhelming in how real it seems.

"It was the best thing I ever created," Kara answers, a sad smile crossing her face. "And all I could think was how Tol-Ran could have done better."

"It's easier to see the faults in our own work than it is the worth," Cat agrees, shifting to the side of the couch and leaving an unspoken invitation for Kara to take the spot next to her. It's happened a few times and Kara has never had the courage to take the chance, but tonight it somehow feels right.

She doesn't let herself second guess the decision before she's standing and crossing to Cat's side, sitting closer than they've been in months. And she's never been this close to Cat for more than a few minutes at a time even then.

They sit quietly for a while as they both adjust to the new closeness between them. Kara wishes she knew what to do now, how to respond to this change in situation. It's just sitting next to Cat on the couch rather than in her own chair, but somehow it's also more than that. It's a step forward on whatever this is between them, a step towards something Kara hasn't been able to define just yet. She knows she wants it, and she thinks Cat does as well, but she's been afraid to let herself actually hope for it just in case it's never something she's able to have.

"Your home sounds lovely," Cat says, breaking the silence as she slowly leans closer until Kara can feel the warmth of her body through her suit. "You should really describe it for me sometime."

"Or you could come see the paintings I've done," Kara offers, knowing that if Cat accepts there will be no more secrets between them, no more hiding behind a pair of glasses and a ponytail. "I've painted it so many times over the years, trying to do the memory justice. I haven't quite managed to get it right, but I've come close enough to give you an idea."

"I'd like that," Cat says, closing the remaining distance between them to lean her head on Kara's shoulder, not pulling back when the hero dares to drape an arm around her, pulling her even closer. "I'd love to see the place you were born."

"You know, when I was born, one of the stars in the sky burned brighter than all the rest," Kara says, taking a deep breath as she throws caution to the wind and dives in headfirst, the feeling of Cat in her arms like this giving her all the courage she needs. "It was the star of our goddess, Kara, and they named me for her in hopes she would guide me when I needed her most."

"And has she?" Cat asks, voice barely a whisper as she looks up at the revelation, a soft smile playing across her lips as she's finally proven right after all this time.

"I think she has."

That’s all Kara takes the time to say before leaning down to press her lips to Cat’s, offering silent thanks to any god or goddess listening for guiding her here.


End file.
